Microsoft say Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary will feature upgraded visuals and a re-mastered singleplayer campaign. They haven’t announced whether it will be a retail game or a digitally-distributed title.

Why what? Why did they confirm all of them at the same time? To start building up hype, of course. The same reason everyone announces games 2-3 years a head of time. Movies do the same thing. I think it’s silly that some developers like to keep everything a secret.

edit: I also thought it was interesting he said it was a new trilogy for the Xbox 360. I guess they’re not releasing a new console as soon as people expected

Testsubject909

Well. I understand why they did everything, I do.
I’m just one of those who feel that there’s really no need for a new Halo, much like we don’t need a new Metal Gear Solid.

I’ll still ask why, while knowing exactly why in many different way. I won’t deny it won’t be able to provide something new and fun (mind you, I find Halo to simply be a nice distraction, nothing more. So I don’t really get excited by Halo). But I also understand that… It’s pretty much over, they’re riding a brand down to redundancy until it’ll just start failing on fan expectations much like Final Fantasy has. (At least that’s my expectation. Who knows, maybe Halo will actually do nothing but improve in every way without offending fans and instead drawing in more people… Who knows.)

My ‘Why’ was more of a “Why another Halo?”

Aara_Malik_Davoodi

Ah, that’s quite understandable. Everyone knew that as soon as Bungie relinquished rights the Halo franchise would be milked and milked. I agree, though. There really is no need for another Halo. They should’ve just let it go and start something new and better.

Testsubject909

I always say, the best idea is to make a Spiritual Successor rather then a direct sequel. As long as you openly announce that the game you’ll make is a Spiritual Successor, fans will have an altered expectation that immediately buffers any radical changes you might make.

Much like how Final Fantasy 13 being called Fabula Nova Crystalis would’ve spared it much hatred from it’s fanbase.

And how Dark Soul being a Spiritual Successor is collecting all the Demon’s Souls fans. Rake in all the profit without having to be weighted by the expectations of a sequel.

But for some reason, most publishers are under this odd idea that the brand name can protect themselves from everything…

malek86

“Much like how Final Fantasy 13 being called Fabula Nova Crystalis would’ve spared it much hatred from it’s fanbase.”
But I bet it wouldn’t have sold 6 million copies.

Testsubject909

Replying to myself to reply to Malek… feels weird.

We’ve no certitude on whether or not it would’ve sold less, as much or even more.

The curiosity of how a spiritual successor will differ itself from the main series can be a driving factor. The fact that it’s a Spiritual Successor and thus a new beginnings for Final Fantasy is certainly a great hook. The first trailers was incredibly hyped for people awaiting FF13, and when it first showed itself with FABULA NOVA CRYSTALIS in large bold taking most of the space with FF13 taking a backseat of unimportance. People were hyped to purchase it.

My guess is that it would’ve sold, at least, just as well and the reception of it would’ve been far better off.

One game we can look at though to see how spiritual successors can fare are the sales numbers for Dark Souls as it IS a spiritual successor to a relatively recent game that’ll depend highly on it’s newly acquired base of fans.

andref

Milked?! I highly doubt that, when microsoft pumps out a new Halo game every year then its milked honestly the number of Halo’s made excluding the RTS, they haven’t even reached the number of titles in the COD franchise

Aara_Malik_Davoodi

I know it hasn’t been milked yet. That’s because Bungie was the one making the games. But Microsoft just announced a trilogy right off the bat. And we’re getting close to the end of this generation. Each game could very well come out yearly. And then there’s of course going to be all the games next generation. Mark my words, Halo will become like COD this decade.

SlashZaku

I don’t think that means they won’t be releasing a new console any time soon. I think we’d see 5 & 6 on 360 but they release a new one and release them on there too. With the original Xbox, they dropped it like a rock but with their ’10 year’ plan, I think early on with their next console, they’ll do 360/Whatever dual releases.

http://www.facebook.com/jstack Jon Stachewicz

I’m a little worried because Bungie isn’t developing these games, but more Halo is never a bad thing. I guess I’ll take the ‘cautious optimism’ route

Testsubject909

It’s a good route. Keep hope alive but don’t bite into hype. That way you don’t set yourself for a heavy disappointment but rather one you can manage and handle keeping yourself from making a full 180.

If a game you like is undergoing certain changes down the line, a bit of healthy skepticism never hurts. And for you Halo lovers, well, happy that you guys are getting more of what you like and hoping that the more important part, the multiplayer, is plentiful fun.

malek86

Halo CE = awesome, every Halo after that one = not awesome. I’m not very hopeful. And to be honest, I liked the graphical style of the original better, in comparison to this remake, which looks a little too… glowing.

Then again, i guess it makes a good diversion from the usual gritty and brown FPS games. Still… little reason to pick up a remake of a game which still works fine on the same console. Maybe when it gets really cheap.

Aara_Malik_Davoodi

I think (hope) they don’t release the remake at full price. Most people will agree that it just wouldn’t be worth it. Then again, ODST was full price….

Testsubject909

Halo fans will pay much like Final Fantasy fans will.

It’s… kind of sad in a way.

malek86

I too would hope at most a $30 starting price, but that’s just not happening. Unless it’s downloadable.

When it gets below $20, I can think about it. It was one of my favorite games on Xbox, but I can’t bring myself to pay a high price for it, since it still works.

Oh, and it’s weird how I didn’t like any Halo after the first one. I can’t even call myself a fan of the series.

Testsubject909

They just announced that it’s at a bargain price, but no specific numbers yet.

And that you can switch between the remade graphic mode and the original classic graphic mode at any time. It’ll be using the Halo Reach engine.

Aara_Malik_Davoodi

hehe I was just watching that, too. But they may consider 49.99 as bargain price. 39.99 is still pushing it imo.

Testsubject909

Hopefully it’s a good deal since, from what I understand, it’s just an HD reskinning of the original Halo game.

We’ve got these for PS3, HD collection deals. So if they’re just shipping the first Halo, they better sell it for a fair price. 50$ is definitely too much. Even 40$. You could honestly wait patiently until the price drops to a cool 20 or a cheap 10 before purchasing it without missing out on anything considering all the other available used Halos out there waiting to be purchased and played…

http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

This would have been a megaton announcement…if Microsoft hadnt spoiled it 2 hours before E3, lol. 2012 is so far away though.

Testsubject909

To date. Aside from the Minecraft surprise. E3 is pretty much feeling slow and unsurprising/redundant/generic.

Waiting to see what the EA press will provide.

Though Spike TV’s in depth look on Skyrim is pretty sweet.

http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

Over 300 hours and they stopped counting of content in Skyrim, wow.

http://www.facebook.com/Robborboy Paul ‘Chinny’ Chinn

Said the same thing about Oblivion. And I had it 100% in under 200 hours.

http://profiles.google.com/zferolie A.J. Ferolie

I admit, I am excited about this. Halo is the only 1st person shooter I care about. Never liked Call of Duty at all.

So yeah, happy, and I hope it still has a great story, as well as great gameplay and multiplayer

Christian Wright

it’s so hard for companies to let their legends *cough*money makers*cough* rest. i want to see new heroes and franchises.

Testsubject909

We’ve already seen a few. What with Platinum and Double Fine being so focused on providing new games each and every time with fans begging for sequels.

Barrit

I’m looking forward to this remake. Much like a few of the comments here, I always heard it was the best one from other people. I’ve never played it, so it will be sweet to play it with updated graphics :)

Testsubject909

It’ll also depend on if they decide to ‘rebalance’ the guns.

SoulEater98

Oh no…

Testsubject909

I’ll add another oh no. Deadliest Warriors Legend is coming too… Seriously? That game feels like an insult to the warriors the show has been studying.

To which some could state the show is an insult to historical and martial accuracy what with the Sun Tze episode… Inaccurate weapons from the wrong era against an opponent with a clear technological advantage doesn’t make for an interesting or fair battle and a nigh-non-existent use of their specialty, warfare strategy on a large scale and not on a squad based battle.

http://chronotwist.deviantart.com/ JustThisOne

I called it. There will never be a “last game”, if it makes that much money.

Not that I’m complaining.

Testsubject909

Kind of like how Fable survives yet each new iteration is more questionable then the last…

Which is to say. Fable: The Journey… was two years in the making… Seriously, that looked more like 6 month of work from a competent studio then 2 years… Mind you it was a side project so that can be taken into mind, it was probably worked on extremely in part time with no full hour shifts on it.

And apparently you tend to the horse instead of tending to a dog. So this time your companion pet is slightly more useful.

http://www.facebook.com/Robborboy Paul ‘Chinny’ Chinn

Uh, maybe some comprehension is in order. Microsoft never said “Last Game”. Bungie did. And Reach WAS Bungie’s last Halo game.

midgard229

MS really needs some variety. with the halo remake and halo 4, that is 6 halo games since 360′s launch. WAY to much. another year Im not turning on my 360, thanks MS, i bought the piece of garbage 360 apparently to play halo

OneOkami

Its their own little CoD in thats its a reliable cash-cow FPS franchise. The studio behind was formed pretty much for the purposes of continuing the milk the franchise (and I suspect that intention of milking is primarily why Bungie bought back its independence and jumped ship).

Personally, I’m beyond tired of Halo and I’m glad Bungie is with a different publisher working on something else for change. I mean my goodness, what has Bungie produced since being taken in by Microsoft?